


when cooler heads prevail

by churchofyourcurves



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-15
Updated: 2014-12-15
Packaged: 2018-03-01 14:24:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2776313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/churchofyourcurves/pseuds/churchofyourcurves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reimagining of the first Hollstein kiss.</p><p>When Carmilla leans in to kiss her Laura flinches away. It’s not because she doesn’t want to kiss Carmilla because she does, she really, really does.</p>
            </blockquote>





	when cooler heads prevail

When Carmilla leans in to kiss her Laura flinches away. It’s not because she doesn’t want to kiss Carmilla because she does, she really, really does. Like, all she can think about is kissing Carmilla. But right now her brain is a huge mess because Carmilla, Carmilla who is standing in front of her right now looking at her, was dead a minute ago. And now she’s not dead, now she’s here and she looks really hurt because Laura pulled away instead of kissing her.

“I-I’m sorry,” Laura stammers out, trying to ignore the way her heart is breaking at Carmilla’s expression. “I didn’t mean to- I just… You were dead. You did this big grand gesture and saved the day and you were amazing and also a giant cat, which was-” Laura cuts herself off because she’s quite certain Carmilla doesn’t care about this at all and even though Carmilla has gone through hell, Laura’s rejection is what has made her face crumple completely.

Laura can’t think of what to do so she just puts her hand on Carmilla’s arm, fingertips lightly grazing against her skin – cool but not cold. “I want to. I want to kiss you. But not like this, not with all this death and destruction and emotional rollercoaster stuff. Which I know has been like part of our lives since we met but-”

“I get it, cupcake.” This time Carmilla cuts her off, and even though Carmilla still looks tired and worn down, it seems like she actually does get it. Or she’s trying to. Exhaustion lines her face and Laura has never seen her look so old, but that probably has something to do with the surviving ridiculous odds and-

Carmilla falls forward, eyes rolling back in her head, and Laura squeaks as she catches her. Danny’s right; she is way heavier than she looks and its pure luck that Laura doesn’t fall from the weight of her. Laura awkwardly shuffles forward so that she can lay Carmilla back down on her bed. She hesitates over the passed out vampire, who mumbles something unintelligible, before she shifts the yellow pillow under Carmilla’s head.

Carmilla sleeps for a full 24 hours, so soundly that Laura gets worried a few times about if Carmilla is still alive. Well, vampire alive. When Carmilla finally does wake up, Laura is at her desk asking her camera if there are such things as vampire comas.

“Only when we’re bored,” Carmilla croaks from behind her and Laura immediately goes over to her with some fresh blood that LaF dropped off earlier. Carmilla accepts the blood and gulps it down, drinking the whole glass in three seconds flat.

“Wow, thirsty,” Laura comments as she sets the empty glass aside. Carmilla grimaces at her as she sits up.

“Trip to hell and back will do that to you.” Carmilla sounds more normal than she did before the blood, but her voice is still thick and hoarse and it makes Laura’s heart ache.

“Is that where you went?”

“Something like that.”

There is a moment of silence and then Laura becomes aware of the fact that she has one hand on Carmilla’s waist and the other is on her arm, rubbing it with her thumb. Carmilla looks at her hand placement and then back up at Laura, eyes dark and questioning, and Laura pulls her hands back into her lap.

“Sorry.” Carmilla shrugs off the apology but Laura presses forward, “I was worried. You slept a long time.”

“How long?”

“24 hours.”

Carmilla snorts at that. “That’s a nap to me, cutie.” The pet name drops from her lips as easily as it always has, but Carmilla tenses after she says it. The memory of Laura pulling away has changed something between them; they can both feel it and it makes Laura want to kiss her now to prove something, but she can’t.

Carmilla excuses herself to take a shower, sliding smoothly past Laura without touching her. The sound of the shower starts soon after and Laura feels a coldness settle in the pit of her stomach. She’s seen Carmilla sarcastic and flippant and angry and indifferent and even guilty, but she’s never seen this.

There’s a knock at the door and Laura answers it to find Danny standing there, shoulders rolled forward and eyes cast downwards. Danny has been coming back to check on Carmilla every six hours or so, apparently saving her from the pit has made Danny feel responsible for Carmilla’s wellbeing and Laura isn’t sure how she feels about it. On one hand she’s glad that the tall redhead has thrown in her lot with Carmilla, on the other she feels guilt every time she sees her.

“How is she?”

“She’s good, she’s up.”

Danny’s eyes snap up so fast that Laura feels what could be a pang of jealousy but she ignores it.

“Can I see her?”

“She’s in the-“

“Hey Summer Society.”

Danny lights up, like actually _lights up_ , when she sees Carmilla standing in the dorm room and rushes past Laura to her. When she reaches Carmilla she seems to remember herself, stopping suddenly and patting Carmilla on the shoulder stiffly. “Glad to see you’re okay.”

Carmilla raises an eyebrow in a very precise movement, drawing it up into a perfect angle. “Don’t get all emotional on me now.”

“Shut up,” Danny laughs and yanks Carmilla into a hug. Carmilla tenses for a moment before relaxing slightly and patting Danny on the back with one hand. They trade some more muffled words which Laura can’t hear and she is definitely, definitely not jealous because that would be ridiculous.

Danny lets Carmilla go and gives her another meaningful look before leaving the room, muttering a goodbye to Laura as she goes. Laura can’t help but immediately turn her gaze to Carmilla, trying to judge what that exchange was by Carmilla’s reaction. Carmilla instead turns away from Laura, going to her side of the room and scoffing at Betty’s baby blue sheets that are now on her bed. Because sneering at a bed sheet is apparently easier than looking at Laura.

“Carmilla…” Carmilla’s shoulders drop, a small sigh emerging from the vampire’s lips. She turns to face Laura and her expression is controlled and blank.

“Look, Laura,” Laura winces at her first name, “We don’t have to do this. The big talk about our feelings. I get it. You didn’t want to do the big kiss after I came back from the dead. I mean, who would.” Carmilla’s tone is more scathing than Laura has ever heard it.

“No, that’s not it at all-”

“Can we just drop it?”

“Carm…”

“Seriously, Laura I-”

Laura crosses the space between them quickly and puts her hands on either side of Carmilla’s face, pulling her into a kiss. Its very quick, but it accomplishes what Laura wants – Carmilla falls silent.

“Can you let me talk?” Laura’s hands are still on either side of Carmilla’s face, keeping their gazes locked. Carmilla doesn’t reply but she nods very slightly, her eyes switching from Laura’s lips to her eyes. It was only a brief kiss but Laura can still feel her lips tingle and Carmilla’s breath (do vampires have breath?) is ghosting across her face.

“I’m sorry I pulled away from you before. I know it would have been very romantic and grand and I know that you love being dramatic but… But I’m not. I’m sure and patient and I make plans and I use logic and I know that it drives you crazy but that’s how I am. I wait. And I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t just a heat of the moment thing for you.”

Carmilla listens to Laura speak with very little emotion on her face until the last sentence when Carmilla breaks into a gentle smile and shakes her head.

“Sweetheart, me wanting to kiss you? It has never been a momentary thing.”

Laura melts and its Carmilla’s arms that keep her standing. Their lips meet again and this time its like falling into gravity. They move against each other at a slow burn pace that makes Laura feel legless and deliciously warm inside.

They kiss and kiss and kiss and Laura wonders how she waited so long to do this and promises herself that she’ll never wait to kiss Carmilla again.


End file.
